Archibald Henderson1,2

(circa August 1779 - 16 February 1826)
FatherWilliam Henderson (say 1755 - ); the most likely id by date / place and naming patern2,3
MotherMarrion Robertson2 (say 1757 - )

BMDB data

     Archibald Henderson was born cir. Aug 1779 Burnbank, Par. of Kilmadock, PER, SCT.4 He was baptized on 29 Aug 1779 Kilmadock, PER, SCT; entry reads: William Henderson and Marrion Robertson his Spouse at Burnbank had a Child baptized August 29th called Archibald Witt: James Robertson at Dounshogle? & David Mitchell in Doun.
(The following entry was the bap. of a Thomas Henderson, son of John Henderson and Margaret Dogg (aka Doig these days) of Murdochstoune.)4,2
     Archibald Henderson married Margaret McEwan (W), daughter of James McEwan and Margaret Fisher, on 28 Oct 1804 Stirling, STI, SCT, Banns called Stirling and Kincardine by Doune, Perth: "Archibald of Stirling Parish, Margaret of Kincardine by Doune."1,5,6
     Archibald Henderson died on 16 Feb 1826 Bridge of Allan, Lecropt, STI, SCT;
     In a 1957 letter from Millie Harbour to Earl Henderson "...his (James H) parents died when he and his two brothers were infants, and were brought up and educated by a wealthy uncle" (which implies that one of the three brothers and the sister died young? The wealthy relations have yet to be found!!).
     A previous date of 1822 was based on the assumption that the widow Margaret McEwan at Quoigs Toll House that appears in the cash books at the same time Archibald disappears is Archibald's wife - very circumstantial, and proved incorrect once inventory sighted. The date was revised to before Mar 1828 when will discovered in index to Scottish Wills: "Henderson Archibald 25/3/1828 Smith, at Bridge of Allan, husband of Margaret McGwan or McEwan Stirling Sheriff Court". The scanned copy shows that the inventory was taken 25 Mar 1828 but Archibald died 16th Feb 1826, intestate.7,8,9,10
     Archibald is one of my longest standing mysteries, with a new-ish twist in the tail.
From the Scottish Naming pattern, which his children do seem to have largely followed, I would expect his father to be a William.
But who is the James Henderson, smith, from whom he took over the smithy?
The most likely baptism found is that shown here as his - to William Henderson and Marrion Robertson.
But even so, that just shifts the brickwall further back and doubles it!

The twist in the tail is explained here.11
Which twist in the tail appears to be resolved (Mar 2023).
Despite the baptism entry for son James clearly stating he belongs to Archibald Henderson and Margaret McEwan, yDNA testing is telling us otherwise.
James' yDNA signature has been confirmed to be R-BY19859 from BigY testing of descendants of James' sons David and William.
Until recently they had no matches other than each other at BigY and only two very very distant y67 matches to a Jenkins family in USA.
A single descendant of Archibald's son Archibald is BigY haplogroup R-Y19731 and has several ySTR matches to Henderson descendants of families around Stirlingshire / Perthshire.
This, coupled with many autosomal matches between James' descendants and those of the Jenkins / Buchanan family, lead to a connection somewhere.
Aa good BigY match has now turned up, also R-BY19859, and belonging to a descendant of Peter Jenkins (b. 1817 Port of Menteith) and Jane McNee, Peter being the grandson of Patrick Junkine (b. 1751) marr. Mary Buchanan.
So James has been re-allocated to an as yet un-named son of Patrick and Mary who met up with Margaret McEwan in 1812. And yes, there are autosomal matches across most lines down from Margaret, including those of James, to Margaret's extended family, so his mother's line seems correct.12

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     Fr 27 May 1807 - 22 May 1813 Archibald Henderson was a smith (cash book stopped at 22 May 1813) on the Keir Farm, STI, SCT.7 Fr 1809 - 1823 Archibald Henderson was a blacksmith, from 'Whitsun to Whitsun' (dates & place from Stirling of Keir papers) Bridge of Allan, Lecropt, STI, SCT.1,7,8

Wills/bequests

     An Inventory of the estate of Archibald Henderson was taken on 25 Mar 1828 Bridge of Allan, Par. of Logie, STI/PER, SCT, The SCAN index reads: Henderson Archibald 25/3/1828 Smith, at Bridge of Allan, husband of Margaret McGwan or McEwan Stirling Sheriff Court. The actual document is an Inventory taken 25 Mar 1828 of the "personal estate of Archibald Henderson Smith at Bridge of Allan who died on the sixteenth day of February eighteen hundred and twenty six say eighteen hundred and twenty six".
     Estate consisted of: cash in house 6d; and assorted debts owed to the deceased for work totalling approx. £188, valuation being signed by Margaret Henderson and John Fraser
     "At Stirling the twenty eight day of Mar 1828 in presence of John Fraser Esq Commisary Depute of the Commissariat of Stirling appeared Mrs Margaret McEwan or Henderson the widow and executrix of the deceased Archibald Henderson Smith at Bridge of Allan who being solemnly sworn and examined deposes that the said Archibald Henderson died intestate upon the sixteenth day of February 1826 that the deponent is about to enter upon the possession and management of the deceased personal estate as executrix qua relict That the deponent knows of no settlement or other wording left by the deceased relative to the disposal of his personal estate of effects or any part of them ...."
     Signed by Margaret Henderson (ie not as McEwan) and John Fraser as being valued between 100 and 200 pounds "All which is truth as the Deponent shall answer to God."8

All the other info

     It is possible that Archibald's children were taught by the Peter Henderson referred to as teacher at Bridge of Allan in 1800.13
     Archibald Henderson and James Henderson Bridge of Allan, Par. of Logie, STI/PER, SCT, were possibly related probably siblings or father/son?.
With a likely father William presumed accounted for by the 1779 baptism of Archibald, that leaves James to be placed.
There are two mentions of a James highly likely to be connected somehow.
One as a blacksmith
A James appears in the Stirling of Keir Rental books as a smith in the Bridge of Allan.
In 1806 there's a William Anderson Smith, Bridge of Allan
In 1807 the smith is James Henderson, with Wm Anderson having arrears of rentals.
By 1808 William Anderson is no longer described as Smith, and by 1809 disappears from the records (where a Janet Anderson in the Old Cott houses at Bridge of Allan).
By 21 Dec 1809 James Henderson, Smith, accounts were paid in full then 4 Jun 1810 the rentals are paid by Archibald Henderson, smith for rental in the Old Cott houses at Bridge of Allan.
My assumption is that James died or retired c. 1810.
He may, or may not, be the same James Henderson who witnessed the 1817 baptism of Archibald's son John.7,14
     Fr 1809 - 1823 Archibald Henderson was shown as a blacksmith at the Old Cott Houses, Bridge of Allan, STI, SCT, Regular entries for £15.0.0 rental per year, whitsun to whitsun, appear from 1810 thru 1823, with payments usually made May and Nov of £7.10.0 each.
     In 1810 arrears of £7.10.0 were owed by Archibald H. thereafter, always regularly paid.
     Rental for 1823 'crop' states 'Archibald Henderson now James Ferguson, smith', and rental increases to £20.0.0 which he pays in full, ie no discount.
     1822 rentals now include a Margaret McEwan at the Quoigs toll house ?widow?7
     At the time Archibald was doing smithing work on Keir Farm, the Keir estates were owned by James Stirling of Keir and Cawder, "born 8 Oct 1766 and succeeding his father William who died May 1793. James did much to embellish Keir and died unmarried at age 64, being succeeded in turn by his brother Archibald Stirling who was a planter in Jamaica for 25 yrs."15
     The History of Logie Parish written in the 1890s describes Bridge of Allan as: "...now a fashionable watering-place, lies about three miles north of Stirling, and is most picturesquely situated upon the left bank of the celebrated Allan Water. At the beginning of the nineteenth century it was only a small hamlet; but since then it has developed into a flourishing burgh, including the village of Keirfield on the other bank of the river.... The western spurs of the green Ochil Hills protect the town from northern and eastern winds, and its mild winter climate has made it a very suitable place of residence for delicate people, retired Anglo-Indians, and others who have been used to warmer-climates"
     "Little progress was indicated in 1827, when Mr Robert Chambers, in his Picture of Scotland, describes it as "a confusion of straw-roofed cottages and rich massy trees; possessed of a bridge and a mill, together with kail yards, bee-skeps, colleys, callants, and old inns"
     The Minister of Logie supplied a history of the parish for Sinclair's Statistical Account III, published in 1792: the population 30 years before being 1500 "in each of the three counties"; plenty of peat in Moss Flanders about 4 miles from the church; Poor rates were paid half by the heritors and the other by the tenants, some £40 being paid to 33 poor in 1774, £38 being distributed in 1775 and "for some years past" £12 being advanced, "the poor live in their own houses, and none were allowed to beg".16,17,18

External links

     Click here to see Archibald's page on WikiTree, a (free) collaborative on-line tree.19

Family

Margaret McEwan (W) (cir. Dec 1782 - aft. Mar 1828)
Children
ChartsMy pedigree chart
Paternal timeline
HENDERSON
Descendants of William McEWAN and Margaret GRAY
Last Edited1 Apr 2023

Citations

  1. James HENDERSON, DC: HENDERSON, James 1892, Folio #1636/1892 Inspection p/copy held, dated & rcvd Aug 1993.
  2. HENDERSON, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Bap. 29 Aug 1779 Archibald s/o William HENDERSON & Marrion ROBERTSION, Batch C113624, Srce call #1040115 Film Printout call #1040115, Kilmadock, PER, rechecked Jan 2003.
  3. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Sep 1994.
  4. Ian Aitken-Kemp, "EMail Corres. re HENDERSON/AITKEN between Ian A-K & LornaHen," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Bap. 29 Aug 1779 Archibald s/o William HENDERSON & Marrion ROBERTSON, Kilmadock, PER, 362/0030 0339, copy rcvd Jan 2009.
  5. Yvonne BEAN, "HENDERSON's at Stirling, STI, SCT," e-mail to L McIntosh, 10 Feb 1994.
  6. Birth marriage death: St Ninians, STI, Marriage 1804 HENDERSON/McEWAN OPR district 490/4 Frame 1008.
  7. Rental and cash account for Keir estates (Stirling family); Daily cash book Keir farm 6-9, 17; Stirling of Keir papers T.SK; 20, StrathClyde Archives, extracted Sep/Oct 1995.
  8. WILL HENDERSON, Archibald, Smith Bridge of Allan (1828 Inventory) (25 Mar 1828) Stirling Sheriff's Court: Scanned copy held by L McIntosh, Feb 2003.
  9. Letter, Amelia Jane HARBOUR nee HENDERSON to Earl HENDERSON, 22 Jul 1957, Found in effects of Amelia Harbour nee Henderson. In possession of L McIntosh Mar 2002.
  10. WILL: Scottish Wills - SctPeople/SCAN project by initially from the SCAN project online at http://ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, Extracted from index Apr 2002.
  11. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Updated May 2021.
  12. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Mar 2023.
  13. R Menzies Fergusson M.A., Logie: A Parish History, Vol I p203 Schools & Schoolmasters, extracted Oct 2003.
  14. Births marriages: Lecropt, PER, Birth 23 Sep 1817 John s/o Archibald HENDERSON & Margaret McEWAN, bap. Lecropt, PER, reg. 371/ 10 128, extracted Sep 1994, copy d/loaded May 2021.
  15. R Menzies Fergusson M.A., Logie: A Parish History, p165 Stirling of Keir, extracted Sep 2003.
  16. R Menzies Fergusson M.A., Logie: A Parish History, Vol II p258ff, Bridge of Allan, extracted Sep 2003.
  17. R Menzies Fergusson M.A., Logie: A Parish History, Vol I p1958ff, Parish of Logie, extracted Oct 2003.
  18. R Menzies Fergusson M.A., Logie: A Parish History, Vol I p319 Addedum from The Register of the ordinary Collections...", extracted Oct 2003.
  19. WikiTree online at http://WikiTree.com/, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Henderson-2324, Oct 2011.
  20. OPR Index to births christenings marriages: PER, SCT (1805).
  21. FamilyTree DNA, "FamilyTree DNA", atDNA results for descendant of Margaret d/o William & Margaret (SINCLAIR) HENDERSON, rcvd Feb 2016.
  22. Births marriages: Lecropt, PER, Bap. 1808 Margaret HENDERSON, extracted Sep 1994.
  23. Linda HANKS, "EM HENDERSON/McGREGOR ex Linda H," e-mail to L Henderson (1), Dth 1886 Margaret McGREGOR nee HENDERSON, reg. Dunfermline pg 131 #391, copy rcvd May 2006.
  24. Births marriages: Lecropt, PER, Bap. 1815 Archibald HENDERSON, extracted Sep 1994.
  25. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 1869 Archibald HENDERSON, Glasgow, LKS, copy d/loaded Sep 2006.
  26. Births marriages: Lecropt, PER, Bap. 1820-22 ?Archibald? HENDERSON, extracted Sep 1994.

E. & O. E. Some/most parish records are rather hard to read and names, places hard to interpret, particularly if you are unfamiliar with an area.